UCCE Highlights

Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program

Andrea worked with schools in Klamath, Weitchpec, Pecwan, and Orleans to expand and support existing school garden projects. The program brought kids into the garden and delivered hands-on lessons about plant life cycles, cultivation, composting, water conservation, nutrition, and more.

The "Ishkeesch tunviiv" (Children of the River) after-school program in Orleans revitalized the community garden and incorporated a native food field trip to harvest Indian potato with Frank Lake (USFS researcher and cultural resource specialist). The Orleans 6th-8th grade class also repaired and ran a greenhouse to grow starts for the Orleans community garden and other school gardens. 

Yurok, Hoopa, and Karuk students participated in a six-day Oregon college tour, which included special tours with Native American college students and on-campus long houses.

With support from FRTEP, the Klamath-Siskiyou Outdoor School hosted their annual cost-free natural resource restoration and outdoor skills camp. Twenty youths participated in hands-on river restoration projects, learned about local ecology, and got to participate in rafting, paddle boarding, kayaking, and backpacking.

Deborah Giraud helped draft a grant with Hoopa 4-H leader Allie Hostler to revitalize the Hoopa rodeo grounds. The grant helped the Hoopa 4-H club and Pony Project plant shade trees, purchase a tractor, and buy new arena sand. To celebrate and raise further funds, the Hoopa 4-H club hosted a Blackberry festival at the rodeo grounds, complete with gymkhana, horse pie bingo, archery shooting, carnival games, face painting, mist tent, and local vendors.

Throughout the fall and winter, canning, food preservation, cottage food, and fruit tree pruning workshops were offered in Klamath, Hoopa, Weitchpec, and Orleans.